Right now, director Sam Mendes is in the middle of making ‘The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event‘. It’s a huge gamble, and people have compared it to the ‘Mission: Impossible‘ movies because of how hard it is to pull off. The world has to wait until April 2028 to see it, but one of the stars, Barry Keoghan, is finally talking about it, and what he says will make Beatles fans very happy.
Keoghan is 33 years old and from Dublin. You might know him from ‘Saltburn‘ or ‘The Banshees of Inisherin‘. Now he’s playing the most famous drummer in the world, Ringo Starr.
Why This ‘Beatles’ Project Feels Different
Keoghan spoke to Deadline during a break from filming, providing a rare look inside a project so big that Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and the families of John Lennon and George Harrison all had to say yes to it. “It’s going incredible,” Keoghan said. “It’s such a big family out there, and it’s such a big movie, but it has that indie soul to it, where I’m feeling super safe to reach and bring forward the most vulnerable truths and the most… Just really dig deep with the performance as Ringo.”
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That bit about the “indie soul” is surprising. You would think a project this massive, four movies shot at the same time for a global release, would feel cold and corporate. But Keoghan says it feels like a family, and safe enough to be vulnerable.
“Sam is such a legend and family now, and everyone’s family out there,” Keoghan said. He also praised the cinematographer Greig Fraser, who worked on ‘Dune Part Two‘ and ‘The Batman‘. “It’s such a tight, lovely group… I’ve got the best director of photography in the world beside me to learn from.”
How Sam Mendes Creates a Safe “Bubble” for the ‘Beatles’ Cast
This is the first time Apple Corps Ltd. has let anyone make a scripted movie using the full life stories and music rights. Mendes wants this to be the “first binge-able theatrical experience.” Each movie shows the same period of Beatlemania but from a different band member’s point of view.
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Keoghan is part of a strong group of Irish and British actors. Paul Mescal plays Paul McCartney, Harris Dickinson plays John Lennon, and Joseph Quinn plays George Harrison.
However, Keoghan says his performance isn’t about copying Ringo; it’s about digging deep into feelings. He lost 17 pounds for ‘The Batman‘ and pushed his body to its limits in ‘Saltburn‘. He said the size of Mendes’s vision actually helps the actors take risks. “If you have a film of this size, you might get lost in the noise,” he explained. “But Sam has built a bubble for us. It feels small. It feels precious. We’re just in there trying to find the truth of these four lads from Liverpool.”
The cast also includes James Norton as manager Brian Epstein, Saoirse Ronan as Linda McCartney, and Anna Sawai as Yoko Ono. The stakes are very high, but if Keoghan’s confidence means anything, this won’t be just a simple jukebox musical.
The movies are still two years away. Keoghan left fans with a simple promise: “Just really dig deep.”
‘The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event‘ is still being made in the UK. It’s set to come out in April 2028.
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